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What I've Been Reading This Week: N.F.L. Cheerleader Wage & Hour Lawsuit Edition - Revisited (10/9)


Given the article I posted on the Milwaukee Bucks cheerleader's wage and hour suit (From Pom Poms to the Courtroom: Milwaukee Bucks Edition), I thought this would be a good time to highlight some articles on the N.F.L. cheerleaders who have brought suit and requested they be classified as employees and paid minimum wage.  

As always, below are a few articles that caught my eye this week.



Cheerleader Lawsuits: Are They Having an Impact?

The New York Times has an interesting look at the wage and hour claims brought by a host of N.F.L. cheerleaders over the past year or so.  As the article notes, California has passed a bill that designates cheerleaders as employees rather than independent contractors, with legislators in New York considering similar legislation.  From what it appears, these wage and hour suits are starting to have an impact.  Very interesting to see how things have progressed.


Lawmakers Attempt to Push N.F.L. to Act on Minimum Wage Issue

Interesting recap from The Guardian on the N.F.L. cheerleader lawsuits.  I wanted to highlight this article in part because of the attention it pays to the efforts by Congressmen from Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, California, and Maryland to take steps to resolve the minimum wage issues that have been raised by these cheerleaders.  Well worth a read.


A Closer Look at New York's Legislation to Help Cheerleaders

Buffalo's NPR News Station has a very good look at the legislation introduced by State Senator Diane Savino that would prevent N.F.L. teams from classifying the cheerleaders as independent contractors.  If these cheerleaders in the state were classified as employees, they would be entitled to minimum wage and the protections offered by the FLSA.  Time will tell if this measure passes, but it certainly has put the issue in the forefront.

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